


Between the lines

by Ischa



Category: Bandom, My Chemical Romance, The Academy Is...
Genre: Alternate Universe, Artists, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-14
Updated: 2012-12-14
Packaged: 2017-11-21 03:16:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/592834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ischa/pseuds/Ischa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>William signed up to be painted nude for a college art class – possibly drunk and/or on a dare. Gabe was involved. </p><p>  <i>“I have not the faintest why you're complaining. You get paid for sitting around being pretty,” Gabe answers. </i><br/><i>“Naked,” William stresses.</i><br/><i>“I bet this guy won't be too shocked to find that you are built like any other girl,” he grins.</i><br/><i>William doesn't find this funny, not at all. Why is he even friends with Gabe? Gabe is an asshole.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Between the lines

**Author's Note:**

> Beta by valress, who also came up with the titel.  
> Written for this prompt: http://bandom-meme.dreamwidth.org/6932.html?thread=336660#cmt336660

~1~  
In all fairness (not that anyone cares) it was Gabe's fault. Maybe it was a dare too, at some point. William really doesn't remember that part at all. 

But it's always Gabe's fault when William finds himself in these kinds of situations. Sisky would say it's William's for getting drunk with Gabe in the first place, but what does Sisky know anyway? 

“This is your signature, isn't it?” the guy asks. 

William stares at the paper and he knows he is staring at the paper. He just can't look away is the thing. He nods because it is his signature, a bit loopy and out of form and barely on the line, but the name in the other box is written carefully in big letters – Gabe's doing – and the box is ticked off too. 

“Yes, but I didn't-” 

“Mister Beckett if this was just a joke -” the guy says, he is some kind of teacher, but William can't fucking recall the name or what subject. Probably art. Oh fuck. 

“It was not,” he says hastily. 

“Well, good. Here is the information you'll need and you need to get in touch with Mrs Bloom and give her your bank details.” 

William has no fucking idea who Mrs Bloom even is, but he nods nevertheless. What the fucking hell? He takes the sheets of paper kinda numbly and nods again. The guy smiles. 

~+~  
“I hate you,” William says. 

“I have not the faintest why you're complaining. You get paid for sitting around being pretty,” Gabe answers. 

“Naked,” William stresses. 

“I bet this guy won't be too shocked to find that you are built like any other girl,” he grins.  
William doesn't find this funny, not at all. Why is he even friends with Gabe? Gabe is an asshole. 

“You're an asshole.” 

“You love me,” Gabe answers. 

William keeps quiet. 

~+~  
He's nervous as hell, but to be honest he can use the extra cash and Mr Meyer (he asked around a bit after) looks pretty fucking scary. He bets no one ever said no to that guy. 

He takes a deep breath and opens the door. 

The room is bright and empty of people except for a guy looking out of the window and drumming his fingers to some song he is listening to on his iPod. William has a second where he thinks he could just tell Mr Meyer he's just not up to this thing, but then the guy turns around and knocks over his brushes in the process, William startles and closes the door behind him. 

“Hi,” he says fighting the urge to fumble with the edge of his t-shirt. 

“Oh, hi?” the guy answers, staring. “Can I help you?” he asks after a few seconds. 

“Uhm...I'm here for the...” he waves his hand, the guy still stares. “Is this not the art-thingy? The nude modelling thing?” he asks, he doesn't think he got the number of the room wrong, but he looks at his wrist nevertheless. It's there in pink pen. The number on the door is the same. 

“You're my model?” the guy asks. 

“I don't know? This is the number of the room I was given, if you're not...if I'm not good-” he bites his lip. 

“No!” the guys says hastily, he gets up, makes a few steps and then stops, running a hand through his hair. “I'm Gerard,” he says. 

“William.” 

 

~2~  
Gerard feels like he weights a ton at least compared to that boy. He is glad he can hide behind his sketchbook and easel. 

“You haven't done this before, have you?” he asks as William just keeps staring at him. 

William shakes his head. “No, it was kinda...I didn't want-”

“You can still just go home,” Gerard interrupts. 

“I can?” 

“Meyer won't sue you,” Gerard answers with a small smile. He knows how Meyer can come across sometimes. 

“What will happen then?” 

“If you go home now?” Gerard asks and some part of him regrets it that he even brought it up, because he does want to draw and paint and maybe even make a fucking sculpture of William, but he is big on consent too. 

“Yeah.” 

“I'll pack my stuff and go speak with Meyer so he can find me a new model.”

“Is it easy to find some to-” he waves his hand again. 

“No,” Gerard says and adds, “but don't, I mean I won't pressure you or whatever.” God he thinks, he wishes this was over already. It's getting awkward really fucking fast. 

“I'm just gonna sit around and you will sketch, right?” 

“Naked,” Gerard has the feeling he needs to emphasize this part. 

“I got that part, Gerard,” William says.

“I- just sometimes people think they can leave on their underwear or whatever,” Gerard replies. 

“No socks then?” William smiles and god help Gerard now, because fuck it all, but this is a beautiful smile. 

“No socks,” he answers and is proud of how steady his voice sounds. 

~+~  
The first sitting is awkward as fuck. But it's not the first time Gerard is doing this. He talked Mikey and Frank (there wasn't that much that Gerard had to say to convince Frank) to take off their clothes, but this is a stranger and obviously uncomfortable. So Gerard had looked away as William was undressing and he told him that they're going to do a back study for starters. Some people don't care to show their dicks around, some do: William is the type who does. He has to take baby steps here. Gerard doesn't mind. He likes sketching backs, the plains and shadows, the delicate places where bone meets skin, bruises, freckles, birthmarks, the graceful lines of necks and shoulders. Hipbones and rib cages, the stretch of skin over bones. Gerard loves it more than drawing the fleshy parts. He thinks it's because bones convey eternity, some kind of consistency, solidity. Gerard likes bones, they tell stories. Sometimes he googles x-rays and tries to recreate them on canvas, while he's imaging stories in his head. 

~+~  
It gets better. The music helps, he thinks. It wasn't his idea, it was Mikey's because his brother is clearly a genius and Gerard should bow to his wisdom every fucking day. At least when it comes to interacting with people who aren't like them. 

But to be honest for a second Gerard really can't tell if William is like them or not. 

“That looks really good, actually,” William says peering over Gerard's shoulder. 

“Thanks,” Gerard doesn't look away from his drawing, he'll try and put it on canvas after William's gone. He still can't look at William when William is putting on his clothes. He feels a sense a loss when he does that. It's really fucking stupid. 

“I mean, I knew that you'll have some skill but this,” he reaches out and runs his finger over the lines without touching the paper, so he doesn't smudge anything. “It looks so...” Gerard can feel William's breath against his ear and bites his lip. 

“Yeah?” he breathes. 

“Beautiful,” William presses out and then snatches his hand away and steps back. And Gerard knows that behaviour. 

“That's how you look,” he says gently. 

“To you,” William answers and then adds hastily, “See you next week Gerard.” 

 

~3~  
“Still didn't draw your junk?” Gabe asks.  
William drains his glass and grabs the bottle. He needs to be so much more drunk or get out of here. The bottle is closer than his apartment. He gives Gabe a look that he hopes conveys how much he hates Gabe right now. Gabe laughs. “You like this weird guy.” 

“He's not weird. He's an artist.” 

“That makes him weird by definition,” Gabe answers. 

“He makes me look...” he swallows his mouthful of whisky and puts his head on the kitchen table. Why are they even in the kitchen? 

“Yeah?” Gabe asks quietly. 

William looks at him sharply. “Forget it,” he bites out. 

“Hey...I didn't mean to tease.” 

“Fuck you, seriously. I'm going home,” William says and gets up. Gabe doesn't get it. Because Gabe has no idea how William pretends, how he always just pretends that he is...he makes people see the him they want to see. “I'm taking the bottle.” 

~+~  
Gerard wonders how William's bones would look. He traces the lines of his neck, the curves of his shoulders and hips, the edges of his elbows. 

“You're obsessing,” Mikey says, without looking away from the game he's playing. It's on mute so they can listen to music together. 

“I'm-” he would like to say 'not' but it would be a lie and he really tries to lie less these days. “Yeah, I am. I guess.” 

“Just ask him out already. You've gotten up close and personal with his junk already,” Mikey answers. 

Gerard throws a rubber at him, Mikey doesn't duck, it hits him on the shoulder. “You'll have to get up now if you want it back.” 

“It's not like that and I have more than one rubber,” Gerard answers, taking another out of his pencil case. 

“So what? Is he stupid?” Mikey asks. 

“He is not. He's smart and funny and witty and he looks like this. I swear to god,” Gerard says, holding up a drawing of William's face. 

Mikey turns to look at it then. “Ah...you think he's too good for you. Newsflash, no one is perfect. I bet he's fucked up like every other person on the fucking planet.” 

Gerard leans his head against the edge of the bed and closes his eyes. Mikey is probably right. There are no perfect people that is the beautiful part of life. And because we all know that we are imperfect we try so much harder to hide it. That's the fucking tragic part of life. It's truly stupid. 

“I can't ask someone out I've seen naked,” Gerard says. 

“Is it some fairness thing? Because you could just strip and get it over with and they you'll be on the same page, even ground, what the fuck ever, Gee.” 

“I wish I were more like you,” Gerard sighs and means it. 

“Trust me Gee,” Mikey says, stretching and kissing his cheek. “I am as fucked up as everyone else too.” 

“You're fucked up with style,” Gerard answers. 

Mikey laughs. 

~+~  
“So, can I see the picture of my junk?” William asks. 

“What?” Gerard sputters, his grip on his folder is way too hard. William can see the (pale, pale) skin around his knuckles whiten. 

“I was sitting for hours-”

“With breaks, a lot of breaks,” Gerard interrupts. 

“With breaks,” William smiles, “naked and I am sure you've done at least one sketch of my junk. I mean I've seen close ups of my toes and fingers and ears for god's sake.” 

“You know how your...junk looks like.” 

“I want to see how you see it, Gerard,” William says and is surprised to find that he really does.

“I...I'm not gonna put it on canvas or anything, but I'll have to hand it in as a part of- I wouldn't have-”

“I know,” William cuts his ramblings off. It's kinda adorable how Gerard is being so freaking  
nervous about it. 

“It's just a sketch. I can do better,” he says eventually and opens the folder to take out a sheet of paper. He hands it over without looking at it. 

“What will you transfer onto canvas then?” William asks looking at the pencil sketch. The penis is only a vague shadow, but the curve of his hipbone is done in stark contrast. It looks a bit like Gerard doesn't really care for the soft parts of bodies. 

“One of the first ones, I guess.”

“Of my back?” William wants to know looking up. He's surprised. It must have carried in his voice. 

“It's not because your face isn't pretty, it is. It's fucking beautiful,” Gerard says hastily. “It's because I really like your back.” 

William blushes, he can feel it happen. “I didn't mean it like that!” Gerard says a bit horrified. 

“I...I wouldn't mind. I mean...” he bites his lip again. That is not how he thought this would go. Why is he such a klutz around Gerard? Usually he's so much smother playing to his advantage. 

“Yeah?” Gerard asks. He sounds hopeful and when William looks up Gerard is smiling at him. His eyes bright and big and shining. He looks like a kid, William thinks.

“Yeah,” he says and smiles back.


End file.
